Collapsible Air Cells in a Cooler to Produce Temperature Gradient Chambers to Increase Insulating Ability

ABSTRACT

The invention pertains to coolers. Prior cooler designs had an unsegregated implicit void of unused air volume. This void was conducive to air eddy currents, which resulted in accelerated warming of the contents. The invention provides the means to disrupt the air eddy currents through a series of collapsible/expandable air cells. The disruption results in the increase of the insulation ability of the cooler. The collapsible/expandable feature allows the cooler to have content added/removed as needed, and allows the air cells to be increased in volume when content is removed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/087,092, filed on December 3, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for prolonging the ice in a cooler. More specifically, the present invention concerns an apparatus for supporting the prolonging of ice (water or dry) or prolonging the heat within the cooler, or increasing the insulation capability of a cooler.

SUMMARY

Eddy currents of air within the unused volume of a cooler reduce the insulation efficiency. The present invention disrupts the air flow through the use of a series of sub chambers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Normally, the contents of a cooler are separated from the inside wall of the cooler by a single air chamber, and eddy currents within that air chamber hasten the effects of outside heat in warming the contents of the cooler. Conversely, a cooler containing a warm medium is cooled more rapidly by the eddy currents within the air chamber. This apparatus is a collapsible bladder able to conform to the shape of the inside cooler, plus the contents (i.e. ice, food, beverages, anything that needs to be kept cool/warm. The bladder contains one or more sub chambers. Each chamber in the bladder produces a temperature gradient, restricting the flow of air eddy currents. The bladder is either preinflated and placed in the cooler, or the bladder is attached to the wall, top or bottom of the cooler, and through this connection provides a means to inject air into the bladder. The pump to add air to the bladder can be separate from the cooler, or is built into the structure of the cooler. There are air flow restrictors between the chambers. This can either be active—bi-directional flaps, or passive-small holes to let air in and out.

Additionally the bladder can be self-inflating with the use of internal springs or foam. To increase the speed of inflation, the foam can have a network of branching tube voids to increase the mobility of inlet and outlet air. Additionally plates can be placed in the cooler to segregate sub volumes of air within the cooler.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cooler apparatus with an unfilled air bladder.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cooler apparatus with an inflated air bladder.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bladder apparatus with a self-inflating material such as foam or springs.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the series of plates suspended from the lid.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a corded system to automatically compress the bladder when the lid is opened. This view has the lid closed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a corded system to automatically compress the bladder when the lid is opened. This view has the lid open.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a corded system to rapidly compress the bladder when the lid is opened. This view has the lid partially open.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is an apparatus for supporting the prolonging of ice (water or dry) or prolonging the heat within the cooler, or increasing the insulation capability of a cooler.

In its preferred embodiment, the present invention consists of a collapsible bladder with one or many sub chambers for use in a cooler to increase the insulation capability of the cooler. The present invention also consists of a self-inflating bladder comprising of springs and/or foam to expand the volume of the chambers for use in a cooler to increase the insulation capability of the cooler. Through the present invention, a series of one or more plates are utilized to produce sub chambers in the cooler to increase the insulation capability of the cooler.

The insulation capability in a cooler is greatly increased with the placement of an air bladder or air chamber separation plates in the cooler. The air chambers reduce the effects of eddy currents of air within the cooler. The air bladder can be attached to the wall of the cooler, or separate. Plates to impose chambers of air can be suspended from the lid. The pump for the air bladder can be separate from the cooler, or an integral part of the cooler. Alternatively the bladder can be self-inflating with the use of foam, springs or weights.

In addition to manual switches to operate the pump, mechanical or electronic systems can be used to automatically compress the insulating bladder when the lid is being opened, and expand it when the lid is being closed. A 555 one shot using a normally closed switch to energize the pump for a short duration when the lid is closed is one example. Push button switches or Hall Effect switches can be used for determining the lid opening/closing status.

FIG. 1 contains a cooler with an unfilled air bladder. The cooler is indicated by reference numeral 1. The items needing cold or warmth are indicated by reference numeral 2. The air within the cooler undergoing eddy current movement is indicated by reference numeral 3. The un-inflated cooler bladder is indicated by reference numeral 4. The air tube from the air pump to the bladder is indicated by reference numeral 5. The air pump used to inflate the bladder is indicated by reference numeral 6.

FIG. 2 contains a cooler with an inflated air bladder. The inflated air chamber with individual sub chambers to create a gradual temperature gradient is indicated by reference numeral 7. A passive air flow restrictor (small hole) is indicated by reference numeral 8. An active air flow restrictor (bi-directional flap valve) is indicated by reference numeral 9. A cell is considered a volume of air separated by an air flow restrictor.

FIG. 3 contains a bladder with a self-inflating material such as foam or springs. The bladder is attached to the cooler lid, and the air vent is through the lid. The material capable of self-inflation is indicated by reference numeral 10. It may be foam or springs or anything that automatically expands the volume of the bladder chambers.

FIG. 4 contains a series of horizontal plates suspended from the lid. The plates are indicated by reference numeral 11. The suspension tethers are indicated by reference numeral 12. Alternatively the plates could be held in place by notches or ridges in the side wall of the cooler or with friction by incorporating a rubberized lip on the outer perimeter of the plates. An individual horizontal plate is composed of two separate pieces, which are sized to allow the conversion into vertical plates capable of creating a side isolation cell.

FIG. 5 contains a self-inflating bladder through the use of a spring, and a corded mechanism to automatically compress the bladder when the lid is opened. The network for one side of the cooler is presented for clarity. The cords are indicated by reference numeral 13. Cord attachment points are indicated by reference numeral 14. Springs to expand the bladder are indicated by reference numeral 15. There are times when a cooler is exposed to a watery environment, such as when the cooler is being cleaned. A ball to stop or limit water flow into the bladder is indicated by reference numeral 16.

FIG. 6 is the open lid view of FIG. 5. Cord travel stops are indicated by reference numeral 17. The bungee cords which take up the slack in the cord when the lid is closed and the springs are compressed from content in the cooler are indicated by reference numeral 18. The pulleys are indicated by reference numeral 19.

FIG. 7 contains a system of pulleys and tracks that results in the rapid compression of the bladder upon the opening of the cooler lid. Specifically, while the lid is being opened, a cord pulls on the track mounted pulley. The track mounted pulley pulls on a cord which is fastened to the bottom of the bladder. As the pulley is moved one inch along the track, the bladder is compressed two inches. The network for only one pull up point is presented for clarity. The cords are indicated by reference numeral 13. A cord travel stop is indicated by reference numeral 17. The bungee cord which takes up the slack in the cord when the lid is closed and the springs are compressed from content in the cooler are indicated by reference numeral 18. The end of the cord that is attached to the bottom of the bladder is indicated by reference numeral 20. The pulley track is indicated by reference numeral 21.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is: 1) A collapsible/expandable air eddy current obstructing layered air form composed of one to many layers of which each layer is composed of one to many cells for use in the unutilized volume in a cooler to increase the cooler's insulation capability. 2) The cooler insulation enhancement of claim 1, wherein the form is a self-inflating bladder with one to many sub chambers comprising of expanding material to automatically expand to occupy the unused volume for use in a cooler to increase its insulation capability. 3) The cooler insulation enhancement of claim 1, wherein the form is a series of one to many moveable plates to produce sub chambers in the unused volume of a cooler to increase its insulation capability. 